Johnson: 'Let's have an immigration debate that is about immigration'

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told viewers Thursday on “Special Report with Bret Baier” that if congress wants to have a debate about immigration “let's have an immigration debate that is about immigration. Don't tie an insistence on funding our executive actions to the entire budget of homeland security of this nation.”

The Department of Homeland Security currently faces the specter of a shutdown, with funding set to expire February 27 in a fight over President Obama’s executive action on immigration. A bill passed by the Republican controlled House of Representatives would extend funding for the department through September 30, and overturn Obama’s action to limit deportation of millions already in the country illegally. The bill is now stuck in the Senate, blocked by Senate Democrats.

Secretary Johnson accused both chambers of pointing fingers adding “let's have that debate in congress. We've been asking to have that debate in congress, for some time now, but don't tie it to funding for the homeland security of this nation, for the safety of the American people.”

Secretary Johnson was also asked about the threat posed to the nation’s security by the terrorist group ISIS noting that: “ISIL very definitely exists. The way I'd put it is this: you can kill an enemy, but you don't necessarily defeat an enemy if what happens is they are able to recruit faster than we can take them off the battlefield, which is why a whole of government approach is so important to dealing with this type of terrorist threat.”